HYDERTALESSPRING 2017, ISSUE III

The Farewell IssueIn the last issue of the Spring 2017 semester, we are looking back on our short time here in India. We are ready to return to the comfort of home but hesitant to leave this city and country that has generously wel-comed us for the past four months. At the beginning of the semester, four months seemed like an eternity. Looking back now, it is a speck, a blink of an eye. If our time in India has taught us anything, it is to trea-sure each and every moment in life. We hope you enjoy our attempt at doing just that.

- Hannah and Shreya

Thank you for your music. Thank you for your art. Thank you for your culture. Thank you for your reli-gions. Thank you for beautiful architecture in Mosques and temples. For beautiful sarees and intricate jewel-ry. For children playing happily in the streets. Thank you for auto rickshaws and local buses. Thank you for overnight trains and domestic flights. For Airbnb and MakeMyTrip. For street art and hand-painted murals. Thank you for Kuchipudi dance and Arabic henna de-signs. For Mr. Das and the cooking staff at Tagore. For the amazing staff that works at SIP. For late nights out with friends and bonfires out on the rocks. Thank you for cricket and football matches. For your mountains and your beaches. Thank you for teaching me kindness and acceptance. Thank you for helping me change.

Dear India,

Thank you, India.-Lynzi Hammett

The semester in numbers 5 km per day × 4 days a week × 15 weeks of classes =

300 km (186.4 miles) total cycled by Daniela and Hannah, always with a smile ;)

2 cups/day × 7 days/week ×19 weeks =

266 cups of chai per person

Where We Have Traveled:

What We’ll Miss in India

Coconut stands on the side of the road

Onion pakoda!

Visha, our yoga

instructor

The

colo

rs

My home stay mom <3

Mango trees

Random dogs everywhere

The prices

The welcoming community

The affection between friends

The architecture

Homecooked South Indian food

Fresh sugar cane juice

Train rides and figsTh

e sc

ener

y

Farewell Dinner!

Anjel and Madhuri are having none of Kalyan’s

shenanigans

Thoughts on Discovering PrideThese last few thoughts are for you, mi paisano1.

I still remember the night before my flight to India. Mi mami2 was watching me pack my last things as the tele-novela3 (soap opera) hummed in the background. “Dani, y si vas aguantar tanto tiempo? No te falta nada? Por qué te tienes que ir tan lejos4.” I reassured her, answering positively, knowing she wouldn’t sleep if I revealed all of my worries. I was terrified, but I couldn’t show it. It was 1:30 in the morning and she needed sleep. My dad was already in bed because one, his work in construction took a toll, and two, I had an early plane to catch. Reluc-tantly, she headed to her room to rest. I quietly finished packing, and prepared for my semester in Hyderabad.

Looking back now, I realize I shouldn’t have been afraid. This semester has been so many things for me‚ amaz-ing, transformative, emotional, magical, challenging, inspiring, and enlightening. Yes, la lucha5 was real. Within a matter of days, I was longing for the smell of frijoles6 slowly cooking on the stove, the soulful voice of Juan Gabriel on Saturday morning telling us it was time to do chores, and my father’s ridiculous sayings. My favorite is “Algo es algo, dijo un calvo cuando un pelo le salio-accent on o-.” In English, a rough translation is “At least it’s something, said a bald man when one hair on his head finally grew.” He uses the phrase to remind us to be grateful, even for the small things. And though it took me time to find comfort in my new setting, I did find it. The food was still spicy, the roti resembled tortillas, and the colors were as vibrant as the ones that line the plazas of Mexico. Many things would transport me to Loreto, Río Grande, Zacatecas7, making me less homesick. May-be you’ll feel it too. It could happen when you hang your clothes on a line to dry. Or maybe when you learn that tu in Hindi is also the informal version of the second person, you. If you’re lucky, maybe Madhuri will give you some candy that’s basically the Indian version of dulce de leche. Oh! And though it’s missing mayo, salsa, and cheese, the corn, covered with lime and a Tajín-like powder, sold on campus will surely remind you of our good old fashioned elotes.

The similarities between India and Mexico are beyond belief‚ more so because they are countries on opposite sides of the world. I’m glad I was able to discover them. However, it was the differences that furthered my appre-ciation of my own culture. Though I liked blending in and being mistaken for an Indian, I loved telling people I was actually Mexican American. Whether it was an Uber driver, a fellow classmate, a professor, or even a date, their reaction/responses always made me smile. “Your Spanish is so cool!” “Mexican women are among the most beautiful in the world.” “Mexicans are a very strong people.” I would speak in Spanish to prove I really knew it, answer questions about our culture, especially about food and music, and was even able to present on machismo in Latin America to my Sociology of Gender class. I have never been this proud: proud of mi piel morena8, proud of my ‘r’ rolling abilities, proud of el nopal en mi frente9, and proud to be the daughter of immigrants.

1. one from the same country2. my mom3. soap opera4. Dani, will you last that long? Are you missing anything? Why do you have to go so far away?5. the struggle

6. beans7. my parents’ birthplace8. my brown skin9. the cacti on my forehead, phrase used to express Mexican heritage

by Daniela Duron-Garcia

I discovered my pride and so much more.

I write all this as I sit on one of the many cozy couches of our homestay in Rumtek. (This is our, Hannah and I’s, last trip in India; she wanted to see the mountains, and I was convinced by the promise of para-gliding). There’s a group of boys kicking a soccer ball around in the most gorgeous setting. The birds are chirping, the insects are buzzing, the small waterfall soothingly runs its course, and off in the distance lies the pinks, the yellows, and the greens of the city of Gangtok, all framed by the hazy blue mountainous land-scape of the Himalayas.

My time here in India has emphasized the importance of enjoying life in the present. Beauty and happiness lie all around, disguised as landscapes, relationships, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This is hard to realize, especially in the competitive environment so common throughout the United States. I know. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am, and plan to continue my efforts. Internships, graduate school, and becoming a biomedical engineering require an immense amount of work, as I am sure your goals do too. I just hope that you’ll be able to let go every now and then, living life happily, whatever that may look like for you. Enjoy your time here, make the most of your opportunities, and share who you are with pride. This experience is yours to keep and yours alone. I have shared a bit of my study abroad, take from it what you will. My last words to you are this: sigue echándole ganas, sueña en grande, porque tú puedes10.

Lo mejor siempre11,Daniela

10. Keep putting in effort, dream big, because you can11. the best always

Student Projects!Many of the CIEE students had creative projects to archive their time here in India. Check them out online using the web addresses below!James’ blog: https://hydertales.wordpress.com/

Anjel’s blog: https://anjelarticulated.com/

Anecia’s YouTube channel: Necee E.

Lynzi’s India Instagram account: @lynzigoestoindia

Thanks for reading!